Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc (IPIX)

[Patientspeople]

Info published 2004 provides insight into the current testing utilizing a drug-screening assay that scores for virus-induced cytopathic effects on cultured cells. This is provided for information and context for current testing.

Inhibition of SARS Coronavirus Infection In Vitro with Clinically Approved Antiviral Drugs, April 2004

"The aim of this study was to investigate whether a panel of currently available antiviral agents exhibit in vitro anti–SARS-CoV activity. Three general antiviral strategies are generally found (13): (1) direct antiviral effects (2), inhibition of viral entry and replication at the cellular level by targeting virus-related processes, and (3) enhancement of host immune response. A total of 19 drugs approved for clinical use in the treatment of viral infections were tested in this study. They are representative compounds from major antiviral pharmacologic classes that are currently commercially available: nucleoside analogs, interferons, protease inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors and neuraminidase inhibitors.

A cell-based assay utilizing cytopathic endpoints (CPE) was set up using Vero E6 cells to screen these antiviral compounds. SARS-CoV has been shown to infect Vero E6 cells, an African green monkey kidney cell line (3), and this remains the only in vitro model of SARS-CoV infection. The initial screen was followed by a plaque reduction assay to determine the 50% effective concentration (EC50) of compounds showing positive results. These experiments allow rapid screening of commercially available antiviral agents, enabling those with in vitro evidence of activity to move expeditiously into clinical studies, since safety and pharmacokinetic information in humans is already available for other disease indications.

Here we report that certain interferon subtypes exhibit in vitro inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV and are candidates for follow-up studies in animal models and patients to determine their efficacy in vivo."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323075/